"Scolari's Office" (Closed)
San Diego, CA Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
Looking for office supplies? The sign at Scolari's Office on 30th Street in San Diego might have sent shoppers in the wrong direction. This North Park establishment was a bar, with drinks and live music taking the place of paper clips and filing cabinets.
The old dive became known for punk and garage bands, giving the Office name a little different meaning after dark. Probably not the place to expect a quiet afternoon catching up on paperwork.
UPDATE: The former Scolari's operates as The Office Bar following a remodel and change in concept. The original storefront sign has been replaced with signage for the newer bar. 10-26
Turkey Inn
Ramona, CA Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
Here's a real turkey of a joint. The Turkey Inn in Ramona greets visitors with a big Tom above the entrance, making the name fairly easy to figure out. Check out this bird before heading inside for a drink. Apparently there's no need to wait until Thanksgiving to put a turkey on display.
The longtime tavern sits along Main Street, offering a neighborhood stop in San Diego County's backcountry. For passing sign hunters, the turkey makes a pretty good introduction. Even without knowing much about the place, there's little chance of confusing it with the next storefront.
Turkey Inn
Ramona, CA Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
While some bars settle for lettering and a beer sign, this one gives its roadside welcome a few feathers. The painted bird looks quite at home over the doorway, keeping an eye on the traffic while customers come and go below. Not a bad perch for the tavern's resident Tom.
UPDATE: The Turkey Inn remains open, and its large turkey mascot survives above the entrance. The old neighborhood watering hole continues along Ramona's Main Street, with the bird still doing its part out front. 10-26
The Flame (Closed)
San Diego, CA Photo courtesy M.C. MorrisseyPhoto courtesy M.C. Morrissey
First the mystery liquor store, and now The Flame?. What's next, something related to turf? This San Diego bar had a tall neon sign that gave Park Boulevard something worth checking out after dark.
The Flame became an important gathering place for the city's lesbian community, particularly from 1984 to 2004. The sign outside was a familiar marker for more than just another place to get a drink.
UPDATE: The Flame is a bar and will soon be making room for condos. Many thanks to Ken Lux for update. 07-04
UPDATE: The former bar property was redeveloped for housing, with its historic front façade preserved. The Flame sign was restored and reinstalled, keeping the old name in view above the changed surroundings. 10-26
Turf Club, 25th St.
San Diego, CA Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
What a coincidence. Here's the Turf Club on 25th Street in San Diego, with another sign to check out before heading inside. A warm summer night might be a good time to stop, although going through the door means missing the warm summer night. Oh well. The neon outside gives visitors something to admire either way.
The Turf Supper Club has been serving Golden Hill since the 1950s. Its colorful horse marquee makes a fitting introduction to the old lounge, where booths and a jukebox help carry the evening along. This is a place where settling in for a drink can turn into staying for dinner.
There is one catch with the meal. Customers cook their own steaks and other selections over a communal grill. Anyone hoping to leave all the cooking behind for the evening may have a little adjusting to do. At least the trip from grill to table isn't far.
UPDATE: The Turf Supper Club remains open, continuing its grill-your-own tradition. Its colorful neon horse marquee survives, keeping a familiar bit of nighttime scenery above the Golden Hill watering hole. 10-26
Aero Club
San Diego, CA Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
Heading north on Interstate 5 after leaving the airport may bring this familiar roadside sight into view. The Aero Club on India Street in San Diego has an airplane sign that fits the neighborhood rather well. Check out the glowing exhaust before it slips past the car window. This flight isn't going anywhere, but it still manages to get some attention.
Opened in 1947, the bar became an after-work stop for pilots and employees from nearby aircraft plants, including Convair and Ryan Aeronautical. With so much aviation activity in the neighborhood, the name probably needed little explanation. A seat at the bar offered somewhere to wind down after the workday.
The old aircraft plants changed over the years, but the Aero Club carried on. Its sign remains a reminder of the neighborhood's aerospace days, when heading out for a drink might mean running into a few more people from the same plant. There's still a little of that earlier San Diego hanging on along India Street.
UPDATE: The Aero Club remains open, and its aviation-themed neon survives. An extensive whiskey selection now fills the bar, while the neighboring Dyno Bar offers arcade games and pinball. A few more reasons to make a stop after checking out the airplane overhead. 10-26
El Cajon Grand
El Cajon, CA Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
Traveling along Main Street in El Cajon brings motorists past the El Cajon
Grand Tavern and its projecting marquee. A good place for drinks? Check with the locals first. The sign gives roadside visitors something to look over in the meantime.
Inside are the familiar pool tables, jukebox, and sports on television. Outside, the neon gets the tavern's name across without much fuss. A little Main Street color to go with the evening traffic.
UPDATE: The El Cajon Grand remains open, and its projecting neon marquee survives. The longtime tavern continues to hold its place along Main Street. 10-26
"Scolari's Office" (Closed)
Turkey Inn
Turkey Inn
